Ranks
Blade Company emulates the militaristic ranks of Charr as closely as possible, with only a few deviations. There is a noticeable heirarchy among given positions, though due to Nalyxa's urging, she tries to keep them as close as possible rather than as roving seperate warbands. There is strength in unity, after all, and she stands strongly by the phrase she used to initially create the Company. "Nature is variety. So too shall be the Blades, to show our strength in both differences and similarity." Initiate The Initiate rank is used sparingly, normally when the officers are unsure about a new recruit, or said new recruit needs some precursory training before joining in a Warband or the auxiliary. These are Charr (or auxiliary) that often have a lot of attention aimed at them, as regularly they are new members and must undergo a series of tests to discover their strengths and weaknesses. Initiates are at the learning stage of four notions: Combat, loyalty, utility and teamsmanship. Not every Charr needs to know how to fight to become a Blade. Those who excell in other properties, such as healing, crafts, construction, repairs, outfitting, are also all welcomed within the Blades. Ultimately, intents are to become self-sufficient rather than relying on rations and supplies given by the Black Citadel, so any and all are admitted in so long as they prove their loyalty. Infighting is punishable, and treason is synonymous with a death sentence, or at the very least: exile. Teamsmanship is a valuable notion that Nalyxa attempts to help teaching through the means of Assigning. Auxiliary Treated like regular members of the Company, though officially not part of the order at all, come the Auxiliary, who rank roughly along the lines of general warband Charr. These are normally those who wish to work outside the warbands in a position of secrecy, though in the Company, they are mostly other species who wish to work alongside the Blades. Since Charr are xenophobic, other species are not allowed ranks any higher than this, and are often regarded with hate and suspicion, despite Nalyxa's efforts to get the Blades' auxiliary viewed with respect. Those other species who join the Auxiliary must show an exceptional level of skill, presence of mind, and appeal. Condescending Asura are left out of the equation: Auxiliary will not be accepted if they cannot respect their peers. Cowardice is not accepted, as it can get Charr killed. Sylvari have been readily accepted before, though their capabilities within the Auxiliary rank have ranged from excellent, to extremely problematic. New Sylvari additions are regarded carefully before admittance. Norns have been granted rank within the Company as well, though despite how this species shares the most traits with their Charr allies, very few Norns have joined. Humans are denied rank outright, whether they would be good for the position or not, because they could easily turn on the Charr culture when the war between the two species break out again. Auxiliary are often pulled into seperate warbands, just like general-rank members, and take orders from the Warband and Company leaders like everyone else. They will be given missions like the rest of the Charr, and will have trust placed on them once they have made themselves worthy of it. Though they may not ever be regarded as full, all-around members of the Company, that hasn't stopped Auxiliary in the past from trying, and at occasion they have earned the unwavering trust and pride from Company officers. Warband Member Every Warband has its list of warriors to its name, and Blade Company is no different. These are the base ranks: The strong, the swift, the learned, the loyal. These Charr are what make the Company strong. They are the driving fist, the relentless tank engine, the whispering footstep, the arcane storm of thrown magic. It is the whole, rather than the top ranks, that make a Company, and the Blades have built into a powerful core of honorable Charr that have fought together through thick and thin. These are the life and soul of the Company, where most of the action takes place. It is also where the crafters, the healers, and supporting Charr are held. Though tests and training still takes place within the members (as Nalyxa is a firm believer that training is never complete), this is the rank that is the most trusted with hefty missions and skirmishes - even wars. They may be asked to face seemingly impossible odds, though never are needlessly tossed into a situation that knowingly would cause death within the ranks. Each member is treated valuably, and the loss of one Warband member woudl shudder through the ranks like a physical blow. Led by a Blood Centurion, but accented by an Ash Brevet, missions are tailored to keep unecessary deaths from puncturing the ranks and destroying what juggernaut has been made. Though general Warband members are not officers, they may still approach their commanding Charr with a request for a mission. Several other Warband members from the varying bands (Raze, Strike, Fang, Shatter) will be brought in to help, as very few missions should be done solo; members have almost been lost in the past, due to taking off without backup. These additional missions are not only accepted, they are encouraged. Warband Brevet This is the chosen officer that ranks directly beneath a Legionnaire. This Charr is generally selected by their corresponding Legionnaire, though the Company leaders have the choice to veto this option if necessary. This, thankfully, hasn't happened yet, as Legionnaires must have control over their own Warbands as seperate military squads, however united the Company remains. The Warband Brevet is a rank that commands their Warband around, should the Legionnaire not be present. It is their job to help emulate missions, bringing things to do for their fellow members, and acting as their Legionnaire's advisor. Should the Legionnaire be killed, it is the Brevet that will step up to the new rank, and in turn choose a new officer of his or her own. Generally, these officers must undergo some hefty training, or a dangerous mission, to test their mettle for the job: It is hard to keep one's head in a nerve-wracking experience, after all! Otherwise, they operate like a regular Warband member. Should the Band need to split, or should the Brevet take off in a mission without the Legionnaire, it is he or she that will take point. Legionnaire This is a Warband leader, a Charr in charge of a squad consisting of Auxiliary, Warband members, and their own Brevet. The Legionnaire needs to have proven themselves to not only the Company leaders, but the Company itself, as each band works with each other to be strong in variety. Four total exist in Blade Company currently, and each are given responsibilities that come with their rank. Legionnaires, while just as capable of fighting on the field as the rest of the ranks, are needed to set up missions, training exercises, and tasks for their Warband to do. They are responsible for holding Warband meetings, acting proactively for the sake of the Charr looking up to them. Legionnaires are expected to know their Band members throughout. They must either offer training, or apprentice one Charr to another, so that one might learn from the other's experiences. Missions must be organized to gather resources, damage enemy organizations, scout for information and news or even to recruit more members. Legionnaires, while it isn't required, are expected to be diplomatic as well as combat orientated. They must understand strategy and know how to apply it, and must undertake the same rules as Nalyxa offers; which is to never put a Charr in a situation that will undoubtedly get them killed. It is a difficult position; a Legionnaire must be around a lot, and prepared to step in to solve problems, whether it be an argument or an attack. A Legionnaire must learn to be level-headed, attentive, and confident, for other Charr will be looking up to them. A leader is, after all, what others aspire to be, so one must hold themselves to appear as though without fear or concern, and an underlying knowledge of how to deal with every situation -- even if that is not, truthfully, the case. The best that can be done is to rely on instinct. Company Brevet Companies are normally led by just one rank, though it has been requested within the Blades that there be two. Company Brevet is outranked only by the Centurion, and those higher-ups beyond the Company itself. The current Company Brevet is also one of the Legionnaires, selected by the Centurion himself. This rank carries the same responsibilities as a Legionnaire, though it spreads to all four warbands rather than just their own. Missions are often given out from this rank, as well, sometimes small, and sometimes gargantuan in importance. Legionnaires are expected to report to the Brevet with news and information about what is going on with their respective Warbands, so that the Company Brevet may offer advice or step in to help. It is also necessary for the Brevet to know what is going on, so that he or she may pass the information onto the Centurion, to whom he or she advises. It is a rank wrought full with responsibility, leaving a Charr with little more to do than to conduct missions, orders or oversee situations. Less time is spent on the field with this rank and higher, as most of their time is spent inward, directed towards the core of the Company. It's chilly at the top, after all, and one does not get to share with the glories of triumph as often as the core Warbands. Centurion ((To be edited))